Genetics and Heredity Flashcards
What is a gene?
A section of DNA that contains instructions for a specific trait
What are alleles?
Different versions of the same gene, one from each parent
What does dominant mean in genetics?
It means that one allele will get expressed no matter what
What does recessive mean in genetics?
It means that that allele will only get expressed if BOTH alleles match
What is the difference between “phenotype” and “genotype”?
phenotype = the expressed traits
genotype = all of the organism’s traits, expressed or not
What is the system of boxes that we use to determine the probability of an organism having certain traits based off of its parents?
Punnett Squares
What is a polygenic trait?
a trait that requires a combination of many genes to create
What is a pleiotropic trait?
one gene that causes multiple traits
What is a Mendelian trait
One gene that causes one trait (named after Gregor Mendel)
